


Funhouse Mirror

by Hawkscape



Category: Jonah Hex (2010), Jonah Hex (Comics)
Genre: Blindness, Closeted Character, Country & Western, Drinking, Friendship, Gen, Hanging, Mental Anguish, Minor Character Death, Mistaken Identity, Partnership, Past Character Death, Scars, Shooting, Trans, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 15:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14718590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkscape/pseuds/Hawkscape
Summary: Self indulgent story about my cowboy character Redtail and Jonah Hex that I thought up after realizing they both have facial scars and that that's all some people notice. This leads to some misunderstandings and an unlikely friendship with old fashion old west hi-jinks abound.Slightly more lighthearted then the tags making it sound.





	1. Chapter 1

On principle, Jonah Hex was a fan of saloons. You could get whatever a man needed for negligible coin. It was also the place that outlaws and gang members frequented most often, leading to them coming to him instead of having to hunt around the burg for them. Unfortunately, his reputation preceded him often enough that sometimes it was less of him laying a trap for when they happened to walk into the bar, and more the outlaws hearing he was in town and coming to confront him. Traveling as much as he did and with a face like his was, he was also used to muttered whispers and sometimes less subtle words about it. Used to it didn't mean it didn't annoy him more than a leaking roof and today all of these facts of his life had chosen to coexist. 

He was slowly smoking a cigar as he eyed a pair from the other side of the bar. They were huddled together and muttering to each other not as quietly as they seemed to think they were. They were also cattle thieves and murderers with bounties on their heads. He would have pounced on them then and there but he had some sympathy for the bar owners that were constant witness and victims to the knock down drag outs that happened within their establishments, so he made it a point to try and at least wait until the pair was leaving and on the stoop before trying to confront them. That was, if they didn't try to jump him first. Their conversation was becoming less and less private as they got drunker and Hex caught some familiar words.

“...Didja see his eye? Looks like it's staring through your soul.” Seems like they had noticed him even in their stupor. “What about that scar? How could you even live through that?” Somehow, Hex hated people muttering about his face more than them just outright snapping about it. He turned to give them a stare that could melt iron only to find that they weren't looking at him. All their furtive glances were towards some unknown man sitting at the bar, drinking alone. Hex couldn't see the man's face from where he was sitting but he had to wonder what the poor devil looked like to win an ugly contest against him. He seemed normal from the back. Tan jacket and hat, gloves, gun belt. Only thing odd was what seemed to be a crowbar dangling from his left side belt. The duo kept up their commentary. “I heard about them. Real bleeding heart, that one. Takes up pity cases.” He paused. “Think he’s after us?” Both of them continued their discussion until they both got up and made their way unsubtly towards the drinker. Hex had a feeling this bar was about to see a fight despite his best intentions.

The taller one came up beside the man leaning on the bar but before he could speak the stranger beat him to it. “You those two cattle rustlers I’m looking’ for?” The thief didn't know how to respond to that with words so he began to reach for his piece while his partner a few steps to the man's left did the same. With a motion like a whip snapping the apparent soft heart swung the bar from his belt sharply into his attacker's face. The man went down with barely a yell but his partner was still very much mobel as he succeeded in drawing his gun on the apparently unawares bludgeoner. Jonah decided to act and in less than a blink the man was down by his bullet. The man at the bar seemed to startle at the shot and turned to look at first the shot man on the floor and then at his apparent savior.

Now that they were facing one another, Hex could safely say he was still the ugliest in the room. The man's left eye seemed almost fully white, probably blind, and explaining his not seeing the second attacker. The apparent scar the duo had mentioned looked to be a bullet wound on his temple. Long since healed but with marks snaking out of it like lightning. The rest of his face seemed a mite to soft to be properly killing folk. He looked at Hex in shock but quickly shifted his expression into an open smile, like the gun for hire was an old friend. “Thank you kindly, Mister. Would have been in a fix if you hadn't acted fast.” 

People were never nice to Hex unless they wanted something, so he waited for the other shoe to drop. “They’re wanted outlaws. I did it for the reward money.” He walked past his thankful friend and started to go through the pockets of the shot man.

The white eyed man's gratitude didn't seem to diminish. “Still, you saved me no matter your intentions so I’ll just play it safe and be grateful. Truth be told, I was doing’ the same thing.” He went over the the blugend man and propped him up on the bar. “I figure that you got one and I got one, so how ya feel about splitting the reward?”

Hex grabbed the shot man and threw him over his shoulder to walk out of the saloon. Nothing with money was ever that fair. “Sure.”

The enthusiastic man clapped his gloved hands together. “Great! Wouldn't have been able to carry two bodies anyway.” He grabbed the bludgeon man, who despite his injury seemed to be at least slightly more alive then Jonah’s prize, and started bodily dragging him out of the bar across the floor. The crowbar wielding man noticed the trail of blood and debris they were leaving. He quickly let go of the collar that he was dragging his prize by and stepped over him back over to the bar counter. He tipped his hat the bartender and put a few dollars on the counter. “Pardon the mess.” He then went back to dragging his prize while Jonah watched skeptically.

After they were both outside, Jonah started walking resolutely towards the sheriff's office and his reluctant partner followed behind much slower. He tipped his hat at Hex while dragging the mostly alive outlaw. “My names Red by the way. What's yours?” 

Hex wasn't a vain man by any means but he had grown used to people knowing him if not by name then by face. He didn't turn around but he shifted the weight of the outlaw. “Hex. Jonah Hex.” There was a small sound of recognition from behind him and he knew he'd finally been recognised.

“You! So you're the son of a gun people keep mistaken me fur!” Hex hadn't been expecting that and half turned around for an explanation. “Your reputation sure precedes you Mister Hex, half the towns I walk into praise me as a hero and the rest try and kill me, even if I never been there before. Can't say it hasn't gotten me a few jobs though, so I guess I should be thanking you.” He had caught up fully to Hex at this point. “Can't see why they mistake us, we look nothing alike.” Hex had to admit that even he didn't like to be recognised as Jonah Hex sometimes. Unlucky sucker. He continued to walk, now side by side with his new partner in heroism.

“Most people see the scar and nothing’ else.” He offered roughly. Red barked out a cruel laugh.

“Right about that, buddy.” Hex hadn't been anyone's ‘buddy’ since he was twelve. This fella's gone from Mister to Buddy right quick. What game was this Red playing? “Oh, by the way, when you was searching these upstanding citizens pockets, you find a ring? Gold band, little plane?” 

Jonah had taken the man's purse but he hadn't gone through it. He pulled it out of his pocket and felt around inside it till he felt something that wasn't coin. “This et?”

Reds face lit up. “Yup. Ya found it so it's yours but I’d be willing to pay you most ah my share of the bounty fur it.” Hex was skeptical and he looked at the band carefully. It seemed to just be a normal ring with no inscription or anything.

His eyes narrowed. “Was so special about it?”

Red seemed to deflate. “Well, the last homestead they knocked off, they stole the lady of the houses wedding ring. She asked me to get it back for her.”

Hex rolled it round between his fingers. “Surely it can't be worth-”

Red snapped his hand out and cut him off. “It's all she has left.” Whether he meant all she had left in the world or all she had left of her husband, Red didn't clarify. Hex flipped the ring into his hand. The bounty was enough that he didn't have to worry about hocking jewelry. Red cought it will a crooked grin and put it in his pocket. “Thank ya kindly.” Nether said anything more as they got to the sheriff's office. Red burst through the door first with an effervescent smile. “Good Morning Sheriff, got some bounties for yah.” 

Hex didn't know if he ever met someone so needlessly excited and happy. He’d only been in the mans company for a few minutes and it was already grating in his nerves. The Sheriff looked startled at the sudden intrusion. He took in Red’s face with a shocked expression. “That face! You must be Jonah Hex the bounty hunter.”

Reds excitement seemed to crack for a moment as he unceremoniously dropped his prize on the floor. Hex was sure now all this smiling was purely a mask, but he couldn't tell its purpose yet. “Fraid not Sir, my name's Red. The man behind me with the heavy shoulder satchel is the one you're looking for.” The man's eyes looked past Red and to Jonah where he paled even more at his appearance, if that was possible.

He started to bustle around send his assistant to call his deputies to take care of the bodies. “My mistake, I’ll get your bounties right away.” He disappeared behind his desk and counted out some cash.

Red nodded and crossed his arms, looking about the place and whistled tunelessly. Hex got the impression this Red never stood still more then he had to. Like a falling rock. He wondered when he'd hit bottom. Jonah set down his prize near a wall out of the way. The man Red bludgend groaned slightly as if he was coming around. Red kicked him swiftly. “Aw no ya don’t. Stay down or I'll reconsider wasting a bullet on you.” The man didn't seem to have the will to argue and did as he was told. The Sheriff turned back around and held out two bundles of cash. Red tipped his hat as he took his. “Thank ya kindly.” Hex just nodded not breaking eye contact as he took his cut. 

Red flipped through and money and gave one last nod of his head before turning and leaving, pointedly stepping on one of crookes as he left. Jonah made sure his cut was true and followed after. Yeah, real soft heart.

He walked out into the harsh sun hoping to find his reluctant partner gone as suddenly as he arrived but instead found the man waiting for him. Ambush? The man peeled himself off the building he was leaning and reached into his coat. “So like I said…” Jonah tensed and was ready to reach for his piece. The man pulled out the small bundle minus a few bills. “Here's what I owe ya for the band.”

Jonah wasn't one to turn down cash but he also wasn't one for going against his gut so he just shook his head. “Keep it. Wasn't my size anyway.” 

The high roller snorted abruptly and let put a genuine cackle that might have been the realest thing Jonah had heard him say yet as he shoved the stack back in his jacket. “Big bad bounty hunter knows how to laugh.”

Hex looked at the sky and wondered if he could make it to the next town by sundown or not. “You’re the only one laughing.”

The laughter died down. “S'pose your right. Been a pleasure making your acquaintance. Thanks for the help. Wish I could stay and chat but I gotta play delivery boy.” He tilted his hat again and wandered off not waiting for Jonah to respond, not that he was going to. He hoped this would be the last he ever saw of the odd man but he somehow knew his luck wasn't good enough for that.


	2. Chapter 2

Hex could feel something was off as he rode into town. It was quieter than church on a Monday and he kept his shooting hand loose. No one was outside but he could hear something in the distance. He wasn't that low on supplies and could probably make it to the next town over before running out but he didn’t like to catch things close when he didnt halfta. Following the din and as he rounded a corner he saw a great crowd. The kind of crowd you only saw when someone was about to die. The gallows in the middle confirmed his suspicion. “Hey!” He called to a boy standing nearby trying to crane his neck to get a better look. The boy looked at him but only for a second before going back to the gallows, apparently even his face was less interesting than death. “Who’s hanging?”

The boy huffed as he realised he wouldn't be able to see proper no matter how much we tried. “Some varment name ah-“

“Jonah Hex!” A man in a suit bellowed as he stood atop the gallows next to the slightly struggling man in a hood. The hood was yanked off and he squinted in the sunlight as Hex recognised him at the strange crowbar wielding fella he’d encountered months before. His hands tensed on his reigns as the suited man continued. “You are hereby sentenced to hang by the neck till dead for the crimes of murder and horse theft. Do you have any last words?”

The man struggled against the rope holding his hands together. “Yah! I ain't Jonah Hex! You got me misidentified. The name’s Redtail Hawk and I ain't never murdered and I ain't never stole.” 

The man in the suit read of a description from the paper in front of him. “You will know the ne’er-do-well by his one milky eye and the left side of his face bearing a rash of scars. Does that not sound like you Mister Hex?”

Red huffed exasperatedly. “No! Well, I guess the eye thing, maybe. But it’s not really a rash of scars, it’s one and it's on my forehead, not my face. Please, ya gotta believe me. Why would I be fool enough to walk back into a town wheres I killed someone in?”

Hex tried not to think about how the man was most likely right about him being a fool as he'd killed people in mostly every town he visited. But that killing was mostly never murder. Some crooked Sheriff must have twisted the story and now Red was paying the price. Well, not if he had anything to say about it.

“Please won't anyone-“ Red turned to look at the crowd in desperation and his eyes locked with Jonah’s. The real Jonah, sitting like death on his pale horse. Hex tensed and prepared for him to point the finger but, he didn't. He just kept staring. Begging with his eyes. “Please.” Jonah knew that last request was meant for him as the silence hung in the air that only the two of them seemed able to feel.

It finally broke as Hex cursed himself for getting dragged into these messes and pulling out his pistol, letting off a warning shot as he drove his horse forward. The shot split the crowd well enough for him to ride forward unimpeded. The man with the mismatched had a sharp and relieved grin. “Jonah!” 

The man in the suit startled as the disturbance and gave the signal for the hangman to pull the lever and Red felt his heart jump into his throat as the floor gave way under him. Hex continued at full tilt and tensed as he shot the rope just before it pulled taught and rode under the gallows just in time, catching the man on his horse behind him. The man jolted and almost fell backwards off the horse as his hands were still tied behind him. Hex performed a maneuver that would have impressed any sideshow juggler as he let go of the reins before reaching backwards to grab the tail of the texas necktie the man behind him still wore and jerked it forward hard, but with much more care than a hangman, looping it swiftly round the horn of his saddle. He then grabbed the reins again and turned his horse sharply to avoid a building before turning himself to shoot any errant goons of the Sheriff trying to shoot him. He dug in his spurs as a clear message to his horse that this was not where they would be bedding down for tonight and to get out of dodge fast. Luckily, he was able to escape quickly and without impediment through the empty streets. He kept at full tilt until the yells of a wronged crooked Sheriff and townsfolk promised a show died behind them and it became apparent they didn't care enough to chase after them. Hex slowed to a trot but didnt stop as he still needed to get to the next town. 

He noticed his doppelganger had been strangely quiet since being rescued. He hoped the man hadn't caught a bullet and all this had been for nothing. He could feel his reluctant partners head firmly planted in his back. “Yah can quit ducking now. Haven't heard a shot in some ten minutes.”

He heard a muffled noise thankfully confirming the man wasn't dead. “Oh, I would, but uh, ya got my necklace a bit to tight. Could we stop for a minute so I can get my bracelets sorted out to, if ya wouldn't mind?” Jonah hummed as he stopped his horse and untied the rope from his horn. He heard a loud thud and then a sound like a broken gas lamp blowing out. He got off his horse and found the fool had just fell off the horse onto the ground. “You gonna get up? Because I won't be too pleased if I just went through all that trouble to save you if your just gonna die after fallen off my horse.”

The fallen man laughed into the ground. “Naw ‘m alive and plan to stay that way. Just gimme a moment to catch my breath.” The man let out a shaky breath before giving a great heave, getting up on his knees, and then his feet again. He looked the worse for ware, dust and mud all over as well as crazy hair to match his eyes and a grin. “Now, if you would kindly.” He turned around and Hex unsheathed his knife making quick work of his bonds. The man sighed and rubbed his wrists before divesting himself of the necklace. “Ah glad to be rid of that.” He got a look of genuine sadness on his face. “They took my hat though…”

Jonah couldn't take this fool any longer. “What kind of idjet are you? Ya get yourself almost hung and all you care about is yer hat?”

Red seemed taken aback by his aggression and just shrugged. “Well...I wasn't. You were there to save me. Thank ya mightly for that, by the way. That's two times you've saved my life now. Oof, that's whole lot of favors I owe ya.” He whistled lowly. 

Jonah grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him closer, giving him a sneer that most people found displeased to be aimed at them at even a hundred paces. “What is your game, boy? You see me in the crowd you don't even make a peep. I don't even know you and you act like we’re thicker ‘an thieves and it's really starting to get on my nerves. For all you know, I'm a murdering horse thief.”

Red blinked at him as if he had not rightly thought about that till now. “Well, I always try to do right by people and trust my gut and my gust said you were good to trust.” 

Hex let go of his jacket and tossed him away in disgust. “Bah. Gonna get yourself killed.”

Red had the audacity to laugh, that same cackle as before. “Not if I keep you around.”


	3. Chapter 3

Hex didn't discover anything all that surprising about Red as they continued to travel together. Red was odd and laughed at too much and talked even when no one was listening or talking back. He could also take out any number of men with a crowbar nearly as fast a he could with a gun. The bounty hunter also learned that despite his face, people liked Red. Really liked him. He saw the man get propositioned by whores and proper ladies alike and he always politely turned them down. Knew how to cook better then most housewifes Hex’d met. He also never took off his jacket even in heat that would make most men strip naked. Lastly, despite being named for a bird he was very much like a dog. His heart could be won for any number of small kindnesses and could turn vicious at those he deemed unworthy just as fast. He also had the unflattering dog like quality of not leaving Jonah the fuck alone.

After getting to the nearest town after the hanging incident, they had attempted to part ways and had for a while, but they kept crossing paths. Be it on jobs or when one would be confused for the other, Jonah could almost believed it was an accident if he didn't know better. Maybe this kid just had really good luck. Or maybe he just had really bad.

At first he prickled at the company but as much as he resented it, Red had become something like friends. Splitting hotel rooms and bounties when they came across one another. Hex had to admit, he did begin to feel at ease around the man. Two people against the world was slightly better odds than one. But they always parted ways before he got to irritable. It got to the point where some nights he'd be settling down and tense up at something off before realising he had gotten used to someone else standing guard besides his horse. He forgot what good sleep felt like and now he could only get it when that annoying bird dog was around. He'd never tell the man that a’course. He never told Red much of anything, despite their continuing acquaintance and Red had done the same despite how much he talked. Hex gathered that the the false accusation he saved him from wasn't the first time he’d almost been hung as a scar around the man's neck under his bandana testified to. The man had also supplied after several drinks that his head scar and eye injury were from being shot in the head. A feat that he wouldn't have believed if he wasn't well versed in how close someone could straddle the line of death via grievous head wound. He didn't offer how he got his scar and Red didn’t ask. At least the loudmouth was self centered. But even that wasn't strictly true, as he was forever thanking and complimenting the man on his aim and gunmanship in a way that Hex would have thought was mocking but after observing Red, he realised it was just his nature to have compliments fall out of his mouth like water. He might have had Red beat in looks but certainly not in oddity. But his oddities had a rhythm to them. 

Which is why is was so odd when they were on the outskirts of a town after running into each other yet again after going after a gang of horse thieves and Red suddenly stopped his horse. Hex looked at his partner to see he uncharastically honest look of unease and fear crossover his face before turning his horse a little to the side. “You go on Hex. I'll catch up with…I'll see you later.” He turned and without another word started trotting away. Jonah watched him before turning to continue into the town. Wasn't any of his business.

But. Red usually stuck to him close for at least a few days after they met up to swap storied even if he was the only one talking. It had barely been a day. He even offered to buy Jonah a drink next town they got to and Red wasn't one to make promises he didn't keep. He’d called him Hex. Not Jonah or Buddy. He’d had an expression that looked honest. His hands gripped on his reins but he didn't change his course. None of his business.

Then he heard gunshots. Gunshots from the direction that Red had gone in. Goddammit, if he had manaGed to get himself killed after being out of Hex’s sight for lessen ten minutes, he’d kill the man. He pulled his horses reins sharply and ran in the direction of the shots. It didn't ease his worry as he found he was running directly into the town cemetery. He spied the jagged figure of Red standing hunched over someone. He gets off his horse and approche carefully. The voice that came to his ears sound wrong. To high pitched and frantic. “You think it’s fun playing target practice with peoples loved ones? Think your an outlaw? Some kind of sharp shooter?” Jonah stepped closer and realized the person he were menacing was a kid of about sixteen and looking scared for his life. And Red was using a gun. In their travels Red always had a gun but he almost never used it. And he had never threaten a child. Now he was doing both. 

He cocked the hammer back. “Let’s see how you like being target practice.”

The kid covered his face and Jonah finally called out. “Red!”

Red turned to him like he was the child who'd just been caught doing something wrong, hair and eyes unhinged. “J-Jonah! Ahaha!” He looked at the gun in his hand and then at the cowering teenager. “This isn't-“ He swallowed the thick dust in his throat. “Uh.” He took another look at the kid before hissing throuugh his teeth and slowly uncocking the hammer. His voice took an icy edge. “Move. And don’t shot things people care about.” The kid nodded francitly and scrambled backwards as he ran back to town.

Red started after him, looking broken. He looked with his bad eye at Jonah before holstering his gun and turning to a rather large and newly chipped stone. He rubbed his gloved fingers over the chips, sensing the man still behind him. He knelt down in front of the grave slowly, still not looking at Jonah. “Guess I need to thank you yet again for savin’ me.” He stopped fiddling with the corner of the stone and instead just stared at it. Jonah walked closer so he could make out the stone. Most of the name’s were worn away but he could make out some of it.

In lov—g m—or- of  
—— Ha-ke & Ka— —w—  
An- the-r- onl- dau———  
Re—— H-wke

Red spoke up wetly after a few moments. “They came at night. Set the whole place on fire. Couldn't even recognise the body's. Took me like I was some kind of prize. Apparently, I was too lippy and they shot me and left me. Heh. Guess they didn't know you couldn't kill what was already dead.”

Jonah wasn’t an idiot and he knew when things should be left in the past. He also knew Red. He stepped forward and Red tensed before relaxing. He trusted Hex. Or thought he deserved whatever the bounty hunter was going to do with him. He put a hand on the man's shoulders firmly. “We should leave ‘afore that kid gets back with the Sheriff.”

Red tried to take it all in. Everything Jonah was saying with that sentence. He knew. He knew and he wasn't mentioning it. Hex had saw what he almost did and he wasn’t not him forever. He said we. Jonah could still go into town. He wouldn't be recognised. But he said we.

Red looked up at him like he's an angel and he knew he was anything but and no one should ever look at him like that. He also knew that there won't be any getting rid of the man now. And maybe he doesn't hate that as much as he should.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to message me!  
> http://hawkscape.tumblr.com/  
> https://www.youtube.com/c/HawkScape  
> http://hawkscape.deviantart.com/


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